FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)
Who do you offer services to?
- Children birth to 19 years
What types of assessment do you offer?
- Private School Cognitive Testing (like CATS testing, only faster and with more information)
- Preschool and Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (Is my child cognitively and academically ready for school entry?)
- Developmental Assessment (How is my baby or toddler developing?)
- Autism Assessment (Why does not child struggle so much with social functions and engagement with others?)
- Autism Updates (Help with documenting prior autism diagnosis for insurance or educational purposes)
- Psychological Assessment (Is my child struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mood issues?)
- Neuropsychological Evaluation(My child has a lot going on. It may be an issue with learning, attention, behavior, or feelings or a little bit of all of these areas)
- Psychoeducational Assessments (Why is my child having such a hard time with learning? Could they have dyslexia, dysgraphia, and/or a math disorder?)
- Bilingual (My child speaks Spanish and I need testing in Spanish)
Do you offer testing in multiple languages?
- Yes! In English and in Spanish
Are all of your staff fully licensed? Do I have to work with a trainee or intern?
- All team members are fully licensed or have completed all professional training requirements (Ph.D., Psy.D., LPA-I). We won’t use your children as practice cases with trainees. We have done this before, and we can help.
What type of evaluation do I need? I'm confused!
- Leave that to us! We do it all, so we can complete the type of assessment you need to figure out what’s going on and what steps will help you get to a better place. Part of the initial steps is to determine what services you need and then to pair you with the psychologist on staff that is the best match. We can complete evaluations from multiple angles (medical, clinical, and educational):
- Educational eligibility- is a disability consideration, as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which can be identified by a school special education team. The team is multidisciplinary and may include a school psychologist speech pathologist, mental health provider, occupational/physical therapist, nurse, and special education teacher. This type of eligibility can grant access to special education services and an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Although we aren’t part of your child’s educational team, we understand Special Education law and can guide you understanding how your child’s needs fit regarding possible eligibility and services.
- Clinical diagnosis – is a formal mental health diagnosis, as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), that can be given by any licensed mental health professional (i.e. licensed psychologist, licensed professional counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical social worker, etc.). The diagnosis is used to inform treatment, therapeutic approaches, and support services.
- Medical diagnosis – is a formal medical diagnosis, as outlined in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) or the Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), that can be given by a medical professional like a pediatrician, neurologist, or licensed psychologist. The State of Texas may provide social security disability insurance and Medicaid coverage for certain medical diagnoses if they cause significant impairment.
Why does it cost more to use your services? I can get an assessment cheaper someplace else.
- This may be true. There are lots of providers who offer testing and evaluation services. However, we are firm believers in “you get what you pay for.” Our team may cost more because we provide more. Diagnosis is only the first step and that is usually where others stop. Our job is to build an intervention plan that gives you step by step instructions on how positive change can happen and to guide you down that road. We also pride ourselves in building a village that follows a child through their development to prevent problems before they happen and to tackle struggles as they arise. Sometimes a child may not actually need a full assessment, and parents really just need time to talk to a professional and receive some guidance on a single issue or roadblock that they are dealing with. Talk to teachers? Work as part of a team to create or refine an education plan? Consult with your doctor, psychiatrist, counselor, child’s grandmother, or nanny? Fight with the school about what your child’s rights are? Teach you the skills to be an awesome parent? Work with your child to grow new skills? Keep in regular contact so you have support along the way? YEP! We do that. We will help you figure out what is going on, what you need to do to help your child and family thrive, and we will walk with you along the way to ensure that you get to where you want to be.
Insurance, Billing, and Costs
All providers on the Kids BRAIN team are out-of-network with all insurance companies.
Some of the services at Kids BRAIN are not billable to insurance (like coaching and summer camps), but other services (like assessment, consultation, some intervention services) are. When the entire process of consultation or assessment is complete, we will share a superbill, which is like a mental health receipt. This has all the procedure codes, diagnoses made, and costs billed to you so that you can share this with your insurance company. You sending this through your patient portal is faster than Kids BRAIN sending this in, because you can track the claim in your system. As out-of-network providers we have little to no visibility once we send out paperwork, which means we can’t check the status, and processing can take months if it doesn’t make it. Also, when your insurance company sends a refund, it will come straight to you instead of to Kids BRAIN, which speeds up the process of getting your money back in your pocket.
All fees are due prior to completion of your first appointment for executive function trainings services. For testing and consultation services, the total cost of the service will be collected at the time the service is rendered (on testing or consultation day). Please note that consultation and assessment require time spent in reviewing records, gathering data, and writing your report, which takes time. You won’t be present for all of this time, but your fee will include all of the professional time needed to do a fantastic job. The expectation is that you will keep a valid credit card on file. Payment in full is required before you will receive your written report or consultation summary.
You are welcome to use your Health Savings or Flexible Spending accounts; we are listed as medical providers and charges will be approved.
You will know exactly how much you will owe Kids BRAIN before you get started and will not pay a penny more than is quoted.; we use transparent billing practices and after we know more about your child and what type of testing will be needed to address your concerns, you will receive a quote that will be valid as long as your child is their current age (quotes are based on age and referral question).
We don’t contact your insurance plan to check on your specific plan structure and details (since we aren’t in network) but we do want you to know what to ask if you choose to do so. See some questions below to help you with this conversation if you decide to reach out to your insurance company for more information.
”I would like to verify eligibility and benefits for Outpatient Mental Health Services under my plan”
“I need to confirm the following CPT codes…90791, 96136, 96137, 96132, 96133 are allowable for my plan”
“I want to confirm whether there is a visit limitation or authorization required for any of these services when working with an out of network provider”
“What will I pay for these services with an out of network provider?”
“Do I have a remaining balance on my out of network deductible? How much?”
“Is there a co-pay or co-insurance after the deductible is met? How much is it?”
“What is my out of pocket maximum?”
“When did this policy begin and when will it end?”
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